2026 Missouri Earthquake Summit

The annual Missouri Earthquake Summit brings together hundreds of professionals to learn the latest about earthquakes in the Midwest – the risk, preparedness strategies, and recovery planning. Experts from across the country lead sessions focused on best practices in earthquake planning and response, transportation strategies, hospital and health services response, communication techniques, utility impacts, and available resources for schools and local officials. The 2026 Earthquake Summit, themed 'Newton's Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction', will be held in Poplar Bluff at the Black River Coliseum. Key sessions and topics include individual and community readiness, state plans to assist local efforts post-earthquake such as the 100 Hour Mission and Route Establishment Strike Teams, MoDOT's response to earthquakes of magnitude 5.0+, locating missing and unaccounted for persons in catastrophic disasters, and building damage assessments after disasters, including the May 2025 St. Louis EF-3 Tornado.